


Bring Him Home

by welpcalledit



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: BAMF Stiles, Betrayal, F/M, Full Shift Werewolves, Kidnapping, Lydia in Derek's Pack, M/M, Magic, Magic!Stiles, McCall Pack, Nice Jackson, Nice Peter, Pack Dynamics, Pack Mother Stiles Stilinski, Sassy Peter, Scott is a Bad Friend, The Alpha Pack, The Hale Pack - Freeform, Werewolf Mates, basically a ton of shit is gonna go down okay, not evil deucalion, some other tags i cant think of right now
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-16
Updated: 2014-03-14
Packaged: 2018-01-08 22:47:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,892
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1138339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/welpcalledit/pseuds/welpcalledit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While on vacation with his dad, Stiles discovers Erica and Boyd are being held captive by the alpha of a rival pack and trades himself for their release. Now, a newly informed Sheriff must work with Derek and the rest of the Hale Pack to bring him home. Stiles, meanwhile, discovers he possesses powerful magic and begins training as a mage from a teacher he never expected to have.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi there, first attempt at writing fic in the Teen Wolf fandom so yay!  
> ConCrit is super appreciated!  
> This is unbeta'd so all mistakes are mine.  
> This is a WIP that I plan on finishing but if it takes me a while to update PLEASE harass me until I do. I work best under pressure.  
> Seriously I would love to hear what you think (:

“Hale!” Derek was instantly awake from his nap on the couch in the burnt out husk of his childhood home. The tone of whoever had yelled his name was frantic in a way that Derek automatically associated with danger and he had shifted into his beta form before he realized the person who had stormed his house now had a gun pointed at him. And was the Sheriff. Fuck.

“Christ, he was telling the truth,” the Sheriff said in a whisper so quiet Derek almost missed it. He was still being held at gunpoint so he swiftly disarmed the man in front of him before returning to a more human shape. Derek walked to the mantle where he dismantled the gun and set the pieces down. With the threat neutralized, Derek was able to properly look at the Sheriff for the first time since he had arrived. He was wearing jeans and a San Francisco 49ers t-shirt instead of his usual uniform. There was nothing off about his clothing, but his skin was incredibly pale and his eyes were wild in a way Derek had only seen once before in a feral werewolf when he was 15. It instantly made something in Derek’s chest tighten and tendrils of dread started crawling their way up his spine.

“What happened,” Derek grunted at the man in front of him.

“Of course. Of fucking course there are werewolves. Mountain lion attacks my ass…” the Sheriff was muttering to himself as he stared in awe at Derek, despite his entirely human appearance.

“Sheriff, clearly you’ve been informed that I am a werewolf and while I am entirely willing to sit down and have a long conversation about what has been going on in this town, I think you’ve come here with something far more important to discuss. Please sit down and tell me what’s going on,” Derek tried to keep his voice calm while speaking to the Sheriff as he gently took the man’s arm and led him to sit on the couch.

“I just- I need a minute here, okay. Go collect the others from the car while I process or something.” The Sheriff dropped his head into his hands and took deep breaths, prompting Derek to also take a deep breath and get himself under control. As he inhaled, he caught a whiff of a familiar scent, no, make that two familiar scents, on the Sheriff. Derek bolted out of the dilapidated house to the squad car in the driveway and wrenched the back door open as Boyd and Erica tumbled out. Fear and regret were rolling off of them in waves and Derek couldn’t repress the urge to pull Erica into a hug and sling an arm around Boyd’s shoulders. For the first time since summer had started, Derek felt alive, grateful to have his pack returned to him.

When the sound of a sob broke through his thoughts, he realized Erica was crying into his chest. He tried to soothe her, whispering into her hair that everything was okay and he wasn’t upset and not to cry but she was inconsolable.

“It’s our fault,” she cried. “We’ll never see him again and it’s all our fault and the Sheriff will never forgive us and you will never forgive us and we’re so so sorry but its all our fault!” Her words were stilted and tears were streaking down her face. Derek wanted to reassure her that nothing was her fault but he didn’t know what was even going on. Then he remembered the Sheriff sitting on his couch and tightened his grip on his two betas, leading them back into the house. He deposited them on the loveseat where they clung to each other, Erica continued to cry while Boyd sat silent but with a pained look on his face. Derek turned back to the Sheriff who seemed to have composed himself.

“Alright sir, while I am grateful that you’ve brought part of my pack back to me, please tell me what’s going on,” Derek’s voice started steady but as he heard Erica’s continued whimpers it turned pleading. The Sheriff seemed to weigh Derek with his eyes and apparently found him up to measure because he schooled his expression into something serious and strong and stood up to be eye level with Derek. Despite being an alpha himself, Derek knew a real alpha personality when he saw one and, while the Sheriff may be human, he held more authority than Derek and the younger man had to fight the urge to tilt his neck to the man in a sign of submission.

“What’s going on, Hale, is that my son and I went to spend the week with my sister in San Francisco and three days into the trip he went out by himself, returned with two reported runaways, told me werewolves were real, and then was escorted by four very large, very intimidating men into a black SUV that drove away before I even knew what was going on. Now I tried to get these two,” the Sheriff gestured at the betas on the loveseat, “to explain what was going on, but apparently my son ordered them not to say a word until I had brought them to you and for some reason I do not understand, they chose to listen to him instead of telling me, the Sheriff, who the hell kidnapped Stiles from right in front of me. Now, if you would be so kind as to ask them what the hell is going on, I would be very appreciative and I might not kill you all.” When the Sheriff had first appeared he was confused, which morphed into anxiety and sadness, but by the end of his speech Derek was practically choking on how furious he was. Worse than the Sheriff’s emotions, however, was the pure terror that had snaked its way around Derek’s heart and started to squeeze the minute the Sheriff mentioned Stiles being gone.

After the end of the school year, when Scott had lied to Derek about being pack and Lydia had saved Jackson from his fate as a Kanima, Stiles had turned up, beaten and bruised by Gerard Argent, and told Derek he hadn’t known about Scott’s plan and asked if he could please remain in the Hale Pack. Derek, feeling the loss of Boyd and Erica heavily, had said yes. After that, Stiles and occasionally Isaac spent many summer days at the Hale house with Derek, making small repairs and trying not to feel the crippling weight of all they’d lost. Derek had started opening up to his small pack, and Stiles had even managed to make him laugh for the first time since he’d lost Laura with a dog joke of all things.

If Stiles was good for Derek then he was definitely good for Isaac, helping him get his emancipation documents filled out and filed and making sure he ate right. Derek had even seen Stiles wake Isaac up from a nightmare and cradle his head to his chest, calling him puppy and whispering how it was okay and they were pack and Derek would keep them all safe. Now, the Sheriff was standing in front of him, telling him that his second, as he considered Stiles, to avoid considering him something more, something more like mate, had somehow found and returned two pack mates and then been taken by what Derek would presume was a pack in San Francisco.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyyyyy  
> so the first chapter is a bit of a teaser mostly because I'm not sure if there is going to be any interest in this. If you like it and want it to continue PLEASE comment or kudos (:  
> Also, a little info:  
> Basically I feel like a lot of the time Scott can be selfish so I kind of might beat up on him a little bit in the first half of this but I pinky promise there is a redemption arc in his future. Boyd and Erica are alive and will stay alive for the foreseeable future because I adore them. Isaac will always be Stiles' werewolf puppy and he's less of an asshole and more sensitive in this fic. Derek is gonna figure out pretty quickly how he feels about Stiles and there will only be a teensy tiny bit of angst in their relationship... Mostly because there are plenty of other angsty relationships that will be happening. WOOHOO please come along for the ride!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> unbeta'd   
> lemme know what you think

Before Derek could get a word out Erica let out another cry, so instead of replying to the sheriff he decided to deal with his two runaway betas.

“Boyd, take Erica upstairs. Erica you need to get yourself under control before I see you again. Boyd, make sure she’s comfortable and then come back downstairs. Sheriff, would you please join me in the kitchen?” With a nod from both the Sheriff and Boyd, Derek walked into the kitchen, pulled out three glasses, and filled them all with water. When the Sheriff walked into the kitchen Derek handed him one and the two men studied each other in silence for a few moments. It was clear that this person was the Sheriff of Beacon Hills rather than John Stilinski, but Derek could see the cracks in his façade where a terrified single parent who had just had his world flipped upside down was bleeding through. Realizing Sheriff Stilinski had no idea where to begin, Derek cleared his throat and started to speak:

“Well, obviously you’re now aware that werewolves exist and that I am one. I was born a werewolf, most of my family members were werewolves, and we were the only pack in Beacon Hills for generations. We don’t attack humans and we don’t turn people without consent. There are hunters who kill supernatural creatures, however, they live by a code to only attack a creature that has spilled human blood.

Werewolves exist in three categories: alphas, betas, and omegas. Alphas are the most powerful. They lead the pack. There are usually two per pack, called the alpha pair, however, in this pack I am the only alpha. Second, betas, are standard werewolves. They, like alphas, are incredibly fast, heal from almost any wound instantly, and have heightened senses. Betas can only become Alphas by inheriting it like I did, or killing another alpha. A standard pack is made of an Alpha and at least three betas; however, very large packs can have up to or even over a hundred betas. The third, omegas, are the weakest type of wolf, the lone wolf. Omegas have no pack and therefore are not as strong as alphas or betas.

There are seven werewolves in Beacon Hills at the moment: myself, the alpha, my betas, Peter Hale, Jackson Whitmore, Isaac Lahey, Erica Reyes, and Vernon Boyd, and one other beta, Scott McCall. Stiles was formerly a part of the McCall pack, which included Scott, Melissa McCall, Stiles, and Allison Argent, however, he has since officially joined the Hale pack, along with one other human, Lydia Martin. It is not uncommon for humans to be part of the pack, but it is uncommon for a human to be second in command, which Stiles is. Boyd and Erica could likely sense that Stiles was my second as soon as they got near him, which is why they obeyed him. I suspect the four men who took Stiles were part of the Santos Pack, the largest pack in San Francisco, and that they did so at the order of their alpha, however, Boyd will have to fill us in on those details.” With that, Derek took several deep breaths, not used to speaking so much, and looked at the Sheriff to see him apparently taking the huge amount of information all in stride. He had already turned to the doorway where Boyd was standing, having entered about half way through Derek’s explanation. Derek tilted his head toward the ceiling and heard the slow even breathing of the now sleeping Erica and then gave a slight nod at Boyd, indicating he should start talking. Now.

“Erica and I left Beacon Hills after escaping from Gerard Argent when Stiles managed to cut off the low-level electricity keeping us under control. We went to San Francisco to disappear. We were cornered by betas from the Santos pack about two days ago who took us to Evelyn, their alpha. Evelyn told us to submit to her or leave the city, however, we couldn’t because we never formally left the Hale Pack, so she told us to leave. When we didn’t leave fast enough she used the alpha privilege she had over her territory and decided to keep us. We were being escorted back to her when Stiles saw us and approached us and insisted on seeing Evelyn with us. We could tell he was your Second, but I don’t think Evelyn realized he was anything more than a human of the Hale Pack. No matter what Stiles said Evelyn refused to let us leave and then she and Stiles went into a separate room and when they came back she said we could go. Stiles took us to his dad, told us not to say a word until we were with you, Derek, and said he hoped we had learned our lesson and that if we took you for granted again he would remove us not only from the pack but from the land of the living. Painfully. His words, not mine.” Boyd smirked as he said the last part, but Derek could smell the guilt on him and despite not having superior senses he knew the Sheriff saw it too because his expression softened the tiniest bit.

“But, I don’t understand how she could have been within her rights to hold you against your will,” the Sheriff said to Boyd, but directed his attention to Derek.

“Werewolves, like regular wolves, can be very territorial. It is not only customary to announce yourself to the largest pack in the area whenever you go into their territory, it is considered an insult not to. To a traditionally strict pack like the Santos pack, this could easily be seen as an intentional offense. I, as your alpha, should have taught the two of you about some of our more widespread laws and customs but there were a lot of other things going on. I’m very sorry I let you down.” Derek directed the last parts of his answer at Boyd and tried to convey with his eyes that he was apologising for much more than not teaching his betas about werewolf culture. Since they had left, Derek had gone over every moment he’d spent with them after the change and all the ways he’d let them down; from tying them up during their first shift to having them live in the abandoned train depot, and letting them run rampant with their new powers, he had practically spiraled into a depression reflecting on how bad of an alpha he was.

Incidentally, it was Stiles who pulled him out of this. He reminded Derek that he still had two beta wolves and two human members in his pack who were depending on him. He took on a lot of responsibility within the pack and allowed Derek the time he needed to grieve his lost pack members and the betrayal he had suffered since coming back to Beacon Hills. Not only that, he took responsibility for a lot of the problems he had caused directly.

\- - -

“Hey, Der, can I talk to you about something,” Stiles asked quietly as he came down the stairs. Derek turned from where he was sitting on the newly acquired couch and nodded shortly.

“I- did Isaac leave,” he  wondered as he moved to sit next to Derek . Derek nodded and slid sideways so Stiles would have more room, but Stiles just sat down and pressed their shoulders together. Their pack was still new and hesitant about touching each other but as usual Stiles had realized that werewolves were tactile beings and made a point to always be in contact, whether it was sitting close enough to touch or tossing an arm over shoulders or trailing his fingers along the back of a neck. Derek set his book down and nodded again at Stiles’ question.

“Okay, here goes. I just, I know this is something you still don’t like to talk about but I want to apologise.” Derek raised an eyebrow but didn’t interject. “I mean, I want to apologise for what happened when you first came back to Beacon Hills. My morbid curiosity led Scott and I out looking for a dead body and we- or at least, I- didn’t think about the fact that it wasn’t just a body, it was a person who had lost her life. And then, after you had buried her we dug her up and destroyed the grave you had made for her and even if we didn’t know all the facts at the time it was so out of line I can’t even begin to tell you how sorry I am. All I can think about is if someone had done that to my mom, I would want to rip them to shreds, and I don’t know why you helped us or let me in your pack after that but I’m really glad you did because even though Boyd and Erica couldn’t see all the potential this new Hale Pack has I can and I know its a lot. And I mean, Isaac is great even if he can be pretty snarky sometimes he’s really just a big puppy and Jackson is like at least twelve percent less of an asshole now than he has been since second grade and who knew that as soon as I stopped being in love with the idea of her, the actual Lydia Martin would become one of my best friends and then there’s you and you’re quiet a lot and you like to growl at us sometimes but whenever Isaac gets scared you’re right there to comfort him and I know you promised Jackson that you would never use him the way Matt and Gerard did and you even let Lydia choose this couch when I know you kind of hate it and-”

“Stiles, Stiles, stop, you’re rambling,” Derek silenced him but he had a smile on his face. Stiles chuckled a little and rubbed the back of his neck. Derek couldn’t help but notice the new muscle at play beneath his skin that had been built up from working on the house and trying to keep up with werewolf strength.

“Heh, yeah, sorry, I do that sometimes,” he grinned at Derek sheepishly. After a moment, however, his expression sobered, “I really am sorry though, for what Scott and I did to Laura and for getting you arrested and for all the problems we caused.”

“I’m not going to say it’s okay, because it’s not,” Derek started, and Stiles nodded his head like he deserved to carry that guilt with him. Derek went on, “but I will say that I forgive you, because I do. I know a lot was happening and that you and Scott were suddenly thrown out of your comfort zone. Trust me, I understand what that’s like. So if you can forgive me for the way I treated you when this all started then I can forgive you.” The smile that lit up Stiles’ face made something inside of Derek’s chest clench and he returned the smile with a grin of his own.

“Psh! Forgive you? Whats to forgive? I mean except that one time when you snuck into my room and shoved me against my door and slammed my head into my steering wheel and let your betas harass me and..” Stiles trailed off, but the megawatt smile on his face only grew so Derek knew all was forgiven. Just then Stiles phone started blaring the Green Day cover of ‘I Fought The Law and The Law Won’ and Derek knew it was his dad. “Shoot, I gotta-” Stiles gestured at his phone.

“Yeah, get home before the Sheriff drives over here and arrests me for being in an empty house with his teenage son,” Derek smirked at Stiles and was satisfied to see the blush creep up from his neck to the tips of his ears. Stiles just laughed and nudged him with his shoulder before answering the phone and heading out the front door. Derek dropped his head back against the couch as he heard Stiles start up his jeep and tried not to think about how much he hated watching him walk out of his house; how he was always afraid that, like Laura and Erica and Boyd, one day he would walk out and then wouldn’t walk back in.

\- - -

When Derek’s mind cleared of the memory he found both the Sheriff and Boyd looking at him. “Sorry,” he shook his head and then met the Sheriff’s eyes, “we are going to do whatever we have to do to get him back.” Boyd nodded somberly and the Sheriff let out a satisfied affirmative grunt, but the look in his eyes as he and Derek stared at each other was so similar to Stiles when he started to figure out some new puzzle that Derek was just a little nervous. Their staring competiton ended, however, when they heard a delicate voice ask,

“What the hell is going on here and where exactly is my best friend?” Three pairs of eyes turned towards the front door where an extremely pissed off Lydia Martin was standing, Jackson behind her shouting into his phone at who Derek guessed was Isaac. She gracefully strode into the kitchen, stiletto heels clacking against the charred wood floor, and immediately put the kettle on the stove. She looked disdainfully at the cup of water in the Sheriff’s hand.

“Honestly, Derek, the man suddenly finds out werewolves are real and all you give him is a glass of water? Sheriff, it’s nice to see you although I wish it was under better circumstances, would you like a cup of tea, perhaps with a shot of whiskey in it?”

“Miss Martin, I think you and I have many important conversations in our future, but those can wait. For now I’ll just have that shot of whiskey and Derek, I’m choosing to ignore the fact that you’re giving teenagers access to alcohol. Now, Miss Martin, how exactly did you know I had learned about werewolves, and how do you know Stiles isn’t here?”

“Well, it’s simple really. I knew you and Stiles were supposed to be in San Francisco so when Jackson and I saw you speed past us while we were sitting the Tropical Smoothie parking lot an hour ago I knew something was off. We would have been here sooner but my idiot boyfriend didn’t mention seeing Boyd and Erica in the back seat until about five minutes ago. Jackson couldn’t hear Stiles’ heartbeat when we pulled up so it was obvious he wasn’t here. Your dismantled service weapon on the fireplace mantle made it obvious that you had drawn your gun and simple deduction told me you wouldn’t do that in a house full of teenagers unless you felt genuinely threatened which led to the obvious conclusion, our dear alpha wolfed out on you.” She answered primly as she poured the now boiling water over a tea bag. All Derek could think was how right Stiles had been when he said that once she stopped playing dumb Lydia Martin was terrifying. Stiles. Everything came back to Stiles.

“Jackson, when will Isaac be here?” Derek directed the question to him but the reply came in the form of a howl filled with grief and anger just outside. Derek instantly recognized it for what it was, his beta, Isaac, was crying out for his lost pack mate- no, not pack mate, leader; alpha. What concerned Derek was that his wolf wanted to cry out for Stiles in exactly the same way. Instantly there was an almost identical howl from directly above them and seconds later a beautiful yellow wolf was running down the stairs and out the door to Isaac. Boyd and Jackson both shifted and were out the door within seconds and with a quick look at Lydia and the Sheriff Derek launched himself into the air and was fully shifted by the time his paws touched the ground. The last thing he heard was Lydia whispering to the Sheriff that wolves will be wolves and then he was out on the preserve sprinting toward the howling calls of his betas. He found them in a clearing fifteen minutes from the house. the four wolves surrounded their alpha and with one voice released pain filled howls to the sky, as though begging for the return of their lost pack mate. Eventually Isaac, Jackson and Derek curled around Boyd and Erica, welcoming them back and not allowing them to move away from the center of the puppy pile. They laid in silence for hours, needing the closeness of pack in that moment.

Meanwhile at the Hale House the Sheriff got a more in depth explanation about the supernatural things that had happened over the past year from Lydia. Before she headed to the room she shared with Jackson upstairs she told him he was welcome to sleep on the couch and that the rest of the pack would be home in the morning.

“Lydia, I have one more question,” the Sheriff stopped her on the stairs. “Is something going on between Derek and Stiles?”

“Yes and no,” Lydia said with a smirk. “Nothing is actually happening but that doesn’t mean they don’t want something to happen.” She giggled and sauntered up the steps while the Sheriff tried to get comfortable on the couch. He only hoped that the next day would come soon so he could get his son home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! You've made it through another chapter woohoo!  
> I promise the next chapter will have some Stiles action as well as the return of our favorite creeperwolf Peter. It also may or may not have some Scott, some Argents, and some Alphas.  
> yayyy   
> as always concrit is appreciated and i just really love comments so leave me some pretty please ((:


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another update, yay!  
> Unbeta'd as usual  
> Seriously the positive response this is getting means the world to me. I'm so glad you like it.  
> Uhm, the notes at the end of this chapter are mega important bc I talk about why I made a character act a certain way so if his actions bother you DEF read the notes before you decide you hate me pretty please (:

When the Sheriff woke up the next morning it was to a pile of bodies on the floor in front of him. He carefully climbed off the couch without stepping on anyone and walked into the kitchen to find Derek making coffee. He wordlessly passed the Sheriff a cup and John was pleasantly surprised to notice it was made exactly how he liked it. He offered a tiny smile to Derek.

“How did you know I take it with-”

“Two sugars and no cream? That’s how I take mine  and Stiles always mentions that we have the same coffee order,” Derek cut the Sheriff off. He smiled at the words but when John met his eyes it was clear that he was upset about the situation.

“You know, I love my son, but he sure is good at getting himself into messes,” John said casually, hoping if he acted calm he could convince Derek. Internally, he was absolutely terrified.

“While I appreciate your calm, I can smell your fear, Sheriff. Don’t worry though. I’ll get him back or I’ll die trying,” Derek responded.

“You can smell emotions? Huh. Derek, I know you feel responsible but you shouldn’t. You’ve already lost so much, and I’m real sorry about what happened to your family and then arresting you for your sister’s murder. I would hate to let you shoulder the burden of Stiles’ decisions and have you or any of those kids in the other room get hurt trying to bring him home.” The Sheriff’s words were sincere and Derek felt the barest hint of anger that the Sheriff would think he could ever just abandon Stiles to another pack.

“With all due respect Sheriff, you wouldn’t be able to stop those kids in the other room from going after your son. Even Jackson would fight tooth and nail to have him back. And even if they wouldn’t, I could NEVER leave my mat-second with another pack that had taken him against his will. Unless Stiles formally leaves the Hale Pack I, we, will never stop trying to save him.” Derek’s voice had risen enough to wake the pack and they were all gathered in the doorway nodding along to his words. A second later however, Derek realized he had just yelled at the Sheriff of Beacon Hills and Stiles’ DAD. “Sheriff, I, shit, I wasn’t trying to be rude I didn’t mean to yell it’s just-”

“Why don’t you call me John, Derek,” the Sheriff said with a light smile. When Derek caught a whiff of his scent he noticed the ever present fear was tinged with a hint of amusement. “And I think you and I need to have a conversation about what exactly my son is to you…” He gave Derek a significant look and Derek ducked his head down to hide his blush.

“Ahem, Sheriff, can I call you John, well John, as much as I agree that you should talk to Derek about, um, that, I think first we need to get Stiles back, so if we could all reconvene in the living room, I’ve got a few ideas.” Lydia had come down the stairs looking fresh faced and gorgeous as ever. John, Derek, and the rest of the pack followed her into the living room and made themselves comfortable while she stood next to the fireplace. Once everyone had directed their attention to her she began,

“Now, here is what we know. Stiles, misguidedly noble Stiles, found Boyd and Erica being held against their will by the Santos pack in San Francisco and traded places with them so that they could return to Beacon Hills.”

“I would love to say I’m surprised but after a year with you motley crew I’m really not,” Lydia was interupted by Peter who had just walked into the house with three dozen donuts. “Boyd, Erica, welcome back. So sorry to have missed out on last night’s howling and puppy pile but I am a very busy man. Lots of places to go and people to see. I notice I’ve interrupted Lydia, please continue my dainty darling.” He passed the food around and smirked at Lydia.

“I wasn’t dainty when I set you on fire the first time, Peter, and if you interrupt me one more time do not think I’ll hesitate to do it again. Where was I? Oh yes, the Santos pack is now in possession of OUR Stiles and we’re going to get him back. Alpha, do I have permission to begin this operation?” Always one to respect ceremony, Lydia deferred to her Alpha and waited on his slight nod before she continued. “Right then, as much as I want to believe a simple meeting will sort this all out, I firmly believe it won’t, so here’s what we’re going to do. Derek, Jackson and myself will be going to San Francisco. The Santos pack is massive and luckily I have been in contact with the alpha, Evelyn’s, personal assistant, Jessica Sutherland. I’ve arranged a meeting with Evelyn, her mate, and her second for tomorrow morning. This is a formal meeting which means you cannot show up in jeans and a t-shirt, Derek. Jackson will take you out to find something acceptable. For the rest of today, we need to get our contingency plans in order. Peter, I know we wanted to wait, but I need you to get in contact with the alpha pack that’s moving toward us. John, you and I are going to talk to Chris and Allison Argent. Derek, you and Isaac are going to speak with Scott. Boyd, Erica, you’re free to use my house to shower and relax. My parents are on a cruise so you’ll have the space to yourselves. Erica take whatever you need out of my closet and Boyd, Derek or Peter probably have something for you. I understand if you’re not ready to go home yet but it’ll have to be soon. Is everyone clear on what they’re doing today?” Lydia was met with stunned silence and slow nods from everyone. She clapped her hands twice to get everyone moving and then met John at the door. “Sheriff, would you mind driving us to the Argent’s home?”

Derek watched his pack split up as Lydia and the Sheriff walked out the door, Erica and Boyd headed to Lydia’s house, Peter made his way upstairs, phone pressed to his ear, and Jackson and Isaac approached him.

“I need to check in with my parents before we go find you something decent to wear. I’ll call you when I’m good to go,” Jackson said and Derek nodded at him.

“Well, I think we should go talk to McCall now. I’m surprised he didn’t show up last night but whatever.” Isaac shrugged his shoulders.

“He just doesn’t get it yet. Let me grab my keys and we can go over to his house,” Derek replied to his beta. He snatched his keys off the table in the kitchen and scrubbed a hand through his hair as he walked toward the Toyota that Stiles gave him hell for buying. He was still hurt that Scott had played him and never even bothered to apologise, but what really pissed him off was the way Scott started treating Stiles when he decided to stay in Derek’s pack. Derek wasn’t sure what exactly was said, but Stiles showed up at the house stinking of anger, embarrassment, and the salt of tears and that day he demolished a crumbling wall in the old dining room by himself. Isaac whined all day and night and refused to leave Stiles side, and Derek, never knowing what to say, stood behind him and rubbed his cheek against Stiles’ shoulder, scenting him and offering comfort the way Laura used to comfort him.

Derek drove to the McCall residence quickly and when they arrived, heard only one heartbeat, faster than a humans. Let’s get this over with, he thought to himself as he and Isaac knocked on the front door and waited for Scott to answer.

When Scott pulled his front door open to reveal Derek and Isaac his immediate reaction was to slam it shut in their faces.

“Wait! Before you shut the door, please just listen. Stiles was taken by a rival pack. Sort of. It’s kind of a long story but basically Boyd and Erica were being held against their will so Stiles traded himself for them and we have to get him back.” Derek knew his tone was pleading but Scott was on his way to being a True Alpha according to Deaton and they could use his help.

“That’s too bad but Stiles isn’t in my pack, so I don’t see why I should care. I don’t even really get why you care. I mean, asking for my help? That seems pretty desperate, Derek. You got a two for one deal sounds like. I mean we all know you think Stiles talks too much, so you got your obedient betas back and got rid of the chatterbox human at the same time. I’m not seeing a down side for you.” Scott knew what he was saying was out of line. He didn’t even mean most of it, but he still felt like Stiles had abandoned him to be in Derek’s pack and then he went and got kidnapped. Scott never would have let that happen. It hurt even more to know how Stiles felt about Derek. He looked at him and talked about him like he was the greatest thing in the world. Really, it was pathetic, and when Scott told him so the last time they had talked he didn’t understand why Stiles was so upset when he was just being honest. Scott shook his head and looked at the absolutely livid expression on Derek’s face. Before the alpha could say anything, however, Isaac intervened.

“Come on Scott, don’t be like that. You and Stiles have been best friends for forever. You have to help us get him back! And of course Derek cares,” Isaac said with a hint of a teasing tone. “Stiles is his mate.”

Apparently it was the wrong thing to say. Scott saw red.

“YOUR MATE,” Scott roared at Derek, “He was MY best friend! He was supposed to be in MY pack! But then he picked YOU over ME! And I figured he would come back to my pack once I was an alpha. He put so much fucking faith in you! Come on Scott, give Derek a chance. He’s not so bad, Scott, he knows what he’s doing Scott,” Scott’s face was growing red and he was sneering in an imitating tone. “But I knew you wouldn’t want him back so I figured I just had to wait. But now he’s your mate?! Well fine, then you can go get him back. Fuck you, Derek!” With that Scott slammed the door shut and sprinted up the stairs and into his room. He screamed into his pillow out of frustration and once his heart rate slowed down a little he noticed his pillow was soaked with tears. Stiles was Scott’s best friend since second grade and now he just, wasn’t.

Derek was pissed. Isaac was whimpering in the car next to his alpha, the anger rolling off of him was making the beta uncomfortable. Derek wanted to calm himself for Isaac’s sake but he could not get his emotions under control. He just didn’t understand how Scott, Stiles’ best friend for almost all of his life, could slam the door in his face instead of helping them get Stiles back. The more he thought about it the angrier he got and the second they pulled up in front of his house, Derek was out of the car and shifting as he bolted into the woods. He ran harder and harder until he couldn’t think about anything but the soil under his paws. When he finally reached a clearing surrounded by trees he lost control. His razor sharp claws ripped into the bark of each tree until they were utterly destroyed. He dug his paws into the roots of the wild flowers growing and tore them all out. When the once beautiful meadow was completely ruined he stopped and curled in a tight ball, trying to get the feral part of him under control. Eventually he was able to get up and make his way back toward the house. He just hoped that the others had better luck finding allies than he did.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOW COULD I MAKE SCOTT SUCH A DICK  
> i'm sure you'd all like to be screaming that at me right about now but heres the thing:  
> Loyalty is fucking important to Stiles okay. He has been Scott's best friend for forever and as soon as Scott turned everything was suddenly about Allison. Allison was Scott's anchor. Allison made Scott human. NOT his best friend ever who literally risked his life trying to help Scott get his powers under control. So I think that Stiles doesn't resent Allison but he might be a little hurt about that. Then Scott makes this deal to join Derek's pack and Stiles thinks its a good idea right? Until he's being kidnapped by Gerard Argent and beat up and Scott is nowhere to be seen and THEN Stiles finds out his bestie was technically working for Gerard? That shit is not fuckin cool. It's not cool to Derek and its not cool to Stiles and it was an all around dick move so I think that might have been the last straw for Stiles. Derek has never misrepresented himself to Stiles intentionally and he's loyal and Stiles appreciates that so he decides to stick with Derek. Scott feels like he didn't do anything wrong and he might be oblivious but he's not fucking blind. He could see the torch Stiles is carrying for Derek from SPACE. So maybe he mentions Derek wont want Stiles back. So maybe he uses that to try to convince Stiles to stay with him and it fucking backfires epically. Scott, at least in seasons 1& 2 seems incapable of acknowledging his own faults so I think until he grows up a little he might blame all that shit on Derek because everything always comes back to Derek.  
> BUT FRET NOT, HE SHALL BE REDEEMED!  
> Okay, other notes:  
> I know I promised some Stiles in this chapter but the story has a mind of its own and I just have to go with the flow.  
> I'm about half way through chapter four and there is some Allison Argent greatness happening  
> There's also some Peter/Alpha pack interaction so I hope you're ready for that.  
> At this pace I don't think we're gonna see Stiles until chapter five but thats okay. Theres a lot happening in a very short amount of time but we'll get to everything, no worries  
> As always, ConCrit and Comments are adored  
> ALSO, HARASS ME ON TUMBLR  
> mishapslikesinkingships.tumblr.com


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! thank you so much for reading and the positive response this has received! Also thank you to the lovely people who visited my tumblr to ask me to update (;  
> This is unbeta'd as usual, and I wrote a lot of it late at night so I'm sure I've made some errors.  
> Okay, about this chapter:  
> I'm not gonna lie, this was the hardest chapter to write so far. It just doesn't flow to me and I kind of hate it. But don't worry, I feel very confident the next chapter will be a thousand times better. I do mention a few important things here so you should still read it but if it kind of sucks I'm sorry and the next chapter should be up in a few days

While Derek and Isaac were dealing with Scott, Lydia and John went to visit the Argents. Lydia had been torn between sending John with Isaac to see Scott and bringing Derek with her but she eventually decided an appeal from an Alpha wolf to a werewolf hunter would be less affective than that of a father to another father. She had given the Sheriff a rundown on things that had happened with the Argents as well as a little background on their skills as hunters. With a deep breath, she flipped her hair over her shoulder, flashed a blinding, yet devious, grin at the Sheriff and rang the doorbell. Allison answered.

“Sheriff? Lydia? Um, please, come in. Is everything okay?” Allison questioned them as she led the pair to the sitting room.

“Allie,” Lydia said, tone grave, “Things are most definitely not okay. We don’t have time right now to go over the whole thing but the important part is that Stiles is being held against his will by a very large werewolf pack in San Francisco and we need all the help we can find to get him back.”

“UH, DAD, YOU NEED TO GET DOWN HERE,” Allison yelled up the stairs. Chris appeared in the room a moment later and stood next to the chair Allison was seated in.

“Now,” Allison said, her voice wavering only a little, “I think you should probably tell us the whole story.”

Lydia and the Sheriff took turns recounting everything that had happened in San Francisco and what Boyd had told them. By the end Chris looked irritated, clearly not happy with a werewolf pack not allowing a human member to leave. Allison looked a combination of scared and angry.

“And one more thing, Allie. Stiles isn’t just Derek’s second. He’s Derek’s mate,” Lydia added at the end. After exchanging a significant look with her father, Allison stood and walked toward the seated Sheriff. Her eyes softened with compassion because she knew how important John and Stiles were to each other.

“I, Allison Argent, Matriarch of the oldest line of werewolf hunters, the French Argents, ally myself and my hunters with Alpha Derek Hale and the Hale Pack to rescue human pack member and Alpha Mate Stiles Stilinski from captivity.” With the formal statement of allegiance out of the way she swooped down and hugged the Sheriff. “Don’t worry Sheriff Stilinski, we’ll get him back, I promise,” she said softly. Chris cleared his throat and looked at the Sheriff as Allison moved to hug Lydia.

“Sheriff, why don’t you and I go talk in the kitchen. It may be 10 a.m. but I think I need a beer.” John thanked Allison and stood to follow her father. Once they had disappeared into the other room Lydia turned to Allison.

“We have to get him back, Allie. He’s one of my best friends and he’s so important to all of us. The pack is finally in a good place, but if we lose Stiles permanently I don’t think we’ll ever recover. I know the Sheriff and Derek won’t.” For the first time since last night Lydia let her control slip and a few tears slid down her cheeks.

“Don’t worry, Lyds, we’ll get him back,” Allison promised her friend as she cried on her shoulder. She pulled away from Lydia with a smile. “So, they’re mates? You TOTALLY called it like over a month ago!” Lydia grinned through her tears.

“I know right? I wish it didn’t take this situation to finally get Derek to admit it, but better late than never I guess. After all, Stiles has been pining practically since Derek showed back up in Beacon Hills. He once tried to tell me he had a crush on a girl named Dereka. So transparent. How are we gonna get him back home Allison?” Lydia pleaded with her friend to have all the answers.

“Well, first you are going to go wash your face because your mascara is ruined, sorry princess. Then, you’re going to meet me in my mom’s old office, well, my office now. I’ll start drawing up battle plans.” With that, Lydia made her way to the bathroom and Allison walked to her office. When her dad first told her it was hers she refused to step foot in it. Just looking at the door made her feel betrayed by her mother and sad that she was gone. It looked like now it was time to get past the hurt she still felt because there was a person who needed her help. It was time to get to work.

First Allison pulled a massive atlas off one of the shelves. She was thankful for the elaborate hunters library she had as she flipped to the page that mapped out the territories of the San Francisco packs. Most of the city looked to be under the control of a single group, the Santos pack. Allison sincerely hoped they were dealing with one of the smaller packs because if the pack was proportional in size to their territory then this was definitely going to be an up hill battle.

Lydia entered the room with Chris and John right behind her. She stood on the other side of the large oak desk Allison had the atlas open on. Her heart sank as she realized how absolutely huge the force they were up against was. Still, she knew Stiles wouldn’t let fear stop him from researching and helping in any way, so she wouldn’t let fear stop her either.

“Okay, Allie, we’re dealing with the Santos Pack. Tell me what I can do to help.” 

“Alright. Dad, can you call some of our hunters in? I want everyone who can be here in a week. Today is Thursday so I want as many as possible by next Friday morning. If we can’t resolve this peacefully then we’re talking about a massive operation. I would prefer if the majority of freelancers we called in operated by the same code as us, especially because some will probably have to camp out in the preserve and we’re allies of the Hale Pack so I’d rather we not invite anyone who might kill them. Then take the Sheriff down to the basement. I’m sure he’s heard about the wolves we’re fighting from Derek but he also needs to hear about them from a hunter’s point of view. Show him the arsenal. Lydia, you’re up here with me. We’re gonna do some research about the Santos Pack and their Alpha. If you’re going to meet them tomorrow then I’m coming with you. With any luck the Argent name will be enough to get them to back off, but if not, we’re going to war.”

“I wonder if I’ll ever get used to being ordered around by teenage girls who think and act like veteran war generals,” John mumbled to himself as he followed Chris out of the room. Chris just chuckled.

“It’s even weirder when the war general is your daughter,” he replied with a laugh.

“And I thought Stiles was tough to raise,” the Sheriff responded. The mention of his son’s name sobered both of them instantly and Chris led him down the stairs and into a room so full of military grade weapons the Sheriff thought it must have been stocked by the Defense Department.  

While John salivated over the massive arsenal in the basement, Lydia and Allison got to work.

“Lydia, the way this library works is as a cohesive unit. Basically, unless you have all the parts you can’t do anything. To get started we needed to know the name of the pack and their location. See these numbers,” Allison gestured to a list of four digit numbers on the side of the page. “These each correspond to a pack whose territory is displayed on the page. They’re listed in order of size from largest to smallest, so the Santos Pack is the first number, 6398. Now, information on the pack will be in our werewolf encyclopedia, book six entry 398.” Lydia scanned the shelves until she found the encyclopedia set Allison was talking about. She pulled down book six, a thick, leather bound tome and opened it to the proper entry, setting it carefully on the desk next to the atlas. “Okay, now see its not labeled as Santos Pack, only as 391. This gives us a general idea about the pack. We can read it in a minute but the next thing we need is to know the size, so on the very bottom shelf is a set of census books. Pull out the most recent one and look for entry number 98. That will give us the closest estimate on demographic information about the pack. Last, we need to know about the Alpha. That information is going to be on the computer, under Alpha Lines book 6 entry 8. Name Evelyn Santos. If she’s mated then her mate’s information should be there too.”

“Allison, this is amazing. It’s a huge amount of information for hunters to have and the organization system is great.”

“It took my mom years to organize it all into the system. Her goal was to digitize it all but she never had a chance to finish it. A lot of this information is freely given by the packs. Hunters don’t usually target packs, they mostly hunt omegas or ferals who have injured humans or turned them without consent. Hunters request information like this from packs, we promise to keep it confidential and we give the same amount of information in return. It’s a good system and ordinarily I wouldn’t break confidentiality for a hunt but what the Santos Pack is doing, holding wolves and especially humans against their will, is wrong and goes against most of our treaties so we’re obligated to end the practice. The problem is that the file on the Santos Pack is incomplete. Here, look at the her bio,” Allison gestured Lydia over to read two paragraphs detailing the current Santos Alpha, Evelyn, how she came into power, inheritance, and the name of her mate, Leo. The file also mentioned her Emissary was of the highest class in power but gave no other information about them.

“That’s going to be a problem for us, isn’t it,” Lydia said, dismay in her tone.

“What is,” Chris Argent asked as he and John entered the room. Allison explained the situation. “Well, it’s not all that surprising. We only ask the packs to disclose information on the wolves, not the human pack members, and even with magic their emissary could be completely human and so exempt. It makes sense that a high-class emissary would want to remain anonymous. To a magic user, everything has power, especially if it’s in a written record, even just their name. We’re just going to have to work around it.” With that, the group of four began to strategize based on the pack’s size and location.

On the other side of town, Jackson was practically dragging Derek into a high end menswear store.

“Derek, seriously. You have to wear a suit. I can’t even believe you don’t own a suit already but as Alpha it’s something you should have on hand. This is where Lydia makes me shop and Angelo will make sure whatever you get fits you perfectly so don’t worry. You’re going to look good and professional and as soon as Stiles sees you tomorrow when we get him back he’s going to melt into the floor… Not that he doesn’t already whenever you walk in a room. Seriously its disgusting…” Jackson trailed off as he pulled the door to the shop open and shoved Derek roughly inside.

“Ah, Jackson, Miss Martin called ahead about you and your associate. I’ve got a few things pulled off the rack but now I feel certain the first one I pulled will be perfect. As always, Jackson, feel free to browse.” The polished formal tone of the man startled Derek at first, but he was immediately impressed with his professionalism and his lack of need for chatter. Derek was feeling out of control and very close to his wolf with Stiles gone and wasn’t willing to do much talking at the moment, so anyone who wasn’t forcing him to speak was appreciated. The man led him to a large changing room in the rear of the store where a navy blue suit was neatly laid out. Derek changed quickly and was impressed with the quality of the material. He was also impressed with Lydia’s ability to accurately estimate his measurements; the suit fit him perfectly. The crisp white shirt and solid blue tie paired with the ensemble made for clean lines and an overall professional appearance. Just wearing the suit made Derek feel like he could face the Santos pack and bring Stiles home. Suddenly he understood why Lydia and Jackson put so much thought into what they wore, it was like putting on armor.

Derek changed back into his Henley and jeans and carefully put the suit back on the hanger. As he exited the fitting room he handed it to Angelo and gave him a sheepish grin, realizing he was probably waiting for Derek to model the suit and make sure it fit.

“Well, I won’t make you put it back on but do I need to make any alterations? Is it too long or too short? Too tight or loose anywhere?” Angelo questioned him about the suit on the walk up to the register where Jackson was waiting for him. Derek shook his head, no to every question. “Very well, Jackson, Miss Martin said to put it on your account, is that correct?”

“Yeah, that’s fine.”

“What? No, Jackson I can pay for it. Seriously I can’t let you buy me this, it’s a $1200 suit!” Derek protested vehemently but Jackson just waved him off and nodded at Angelo to complete the transaction.

“Don’t worry, seriously, its not a big deal. Like at all.” Angelo placed the garment in a hanging suit bag and handed it to Derek.

“Well, gentlemen, it was nice doing business with you. Jackson, always a pleasure, and do give your better half my best,” Angelo addressed them as he shook both of their hands. Derek carefully hung the suit up in the back of his Toyota and he and Jackson got in the car.

“Lydia said to tell you she’s already picked up a pair of shoes for you,” Jackson informed him without looking up from his phone. “So, what did McCall say? Based on what I saw of Isaac before we left I’m guessing it didn’t go over well?” Jackson sneered his words but underneath the tone Derek could hear the genuine concern in the question.

“Basically he told me that I stole Stiles from him so I could be the one to bring him back and then said to fuck off. I just don’t understand how he could do that to Stiles, no matter how he feels about me,” Derek trailed off as Jackson’s expression turned dark.

“That selfish little bastard needs to get off his high horse,” Jackson all but shouted in the car. “Did Stiles stop helping him when all McCall could talk about was Allison? When he couldn’t even be bothered to keep his best friend safe because he was having dinner with his girlfriend?” Jackson was pissed and it was easy for Derek to understand why, Jackson couldn’t handle the idea of being abandoned and that’s exactly what Scott was doing to Stiles. Before he could go on, his phone rang and Jackson answered with an angry tone. “Hello, yeah, we’re on our way.” Derek looked at Jackson in surprise because he was almost certain that had been Lydia and he knew she was going to give Jackson hell for practically hanging up on her. Or maybe not. Everything was weird without Stiles to offer a counterbalance and tensions were running very high.

“Lydia wants us to meet her at the Argent’s place. She says they have news and want to talk strategy.” Derek nodded and made a U-turn at the next light to head back towards the other side of town where the Argents lived. His wolf was howling at him not to walk into the home of the people responsible for killing his family and hunting his pack but to get Stiles home, he would do anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What'd you think? I don't even know what I was doing with this chapter. I mean the weirdly organized library thing and the clothes are armor rant? I don't know why those ideas seemed so important to me but I probably could've done a better job of delivering them. Oh well though.  
> I know, I know, I keep saying we'll see Stiles soon, but this time I really do know when we'll see him again! I've got the entire story outlined now so we're looking at about 12 chapters and an epilogue. Please don't hold me to that though, I just follow the plot wherever it takes me.  
> Ya'll should know in the next chapter we only see Stiles at the very end, BUT the chapter after that is entirely Stiles so YAY!  
> I love ConCrit and comments are the reason I get up in the morning (:  
> Here, have my tumblr and harass me when you want a new chapter: mishapslikesinkingships.tumblr.com


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, sorry I haven't updated sooner, but here you go, chapter five. Look, A LOT happens in this chapter and the characters got up to all kinds of things I hadn't planned for them, but what are ya gonna do?  
> Hope you like this, as always, concrit and comments are love. kudos makes the world go round.

When Derek and Jackson arrived at the Argent house, Chris let them in with a wary sigh. They followed him to Allison’s office where she was standing behind the desk flanked by Lydia and John, all three of them pouring over a large map set out on the table. Allison looked up and offered Derek a neutral look. She was still angry with him about what had happened to her mom, but three weeks into the summer Stiles had showed up and asked if she knew the full story. Once he explained to her how Derek was honestly only trying to protect Scott, Allison realized she couldn’t hold on to her anger at him forever. Still, she wasn’t exactly anxious to be his best friend, and from what Allison could tell, Stiles already filled that role anyway.   
“Oh good, you’re here,” Lydia said, looking up from the map and moving to Jackson’s side. There was a casual intimacy in the way he slung his arm around her waist and leaned down to nuzzle at the top of her head. Derek was loath to admit it but he was jealous. He wanted that easy touch and simple comfort from just being around someone. No, if he was being honest, he didn’t just want that with someone, he wanted that with Stiles. His wolf was howling for the teenager and he knew the others could sense it.   
“I’ve gotta be honest, alpha, if we don’t get Stiles back tomorrow it’s gonna be tough to get him back at all,” Lydia told him grimly. “The pack we’re up against is massive not only in land but in numbers, and they’ve got some ultra mysterious super strong emissary that we can’t find any information about. All we know is it’s a woman who joined the pack about nine years ago.” Allison had been watching Derek and saw how his face remained calm but his eyes betrayed the dismay he was feeling at her words. Even Jackson gave a small whimper at the news and the negative energy rolling off of his alpha.   
“Well that’s great,” Derek growled sarcastically. “Just one other problem to add onto our ever growing list. Scott refuses to help, by the way. Isaac and I explained the situation and he slammed the door in our face.”  
“What,” John’s head snapped up. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Scott and Stiles are best friends. Hell, I consider Scott a son. I know there’s been some strain on their relationship lately and after talking to Lydia I think I know why, but still, I can’t believe that if Stiles was in danger Scott would refuse to help.” The Sheriff was mostly confused at what Derek had told him. How could Scott refuse to help his best friend?  
“Well, sir, I believe his words were something to the effect of I stole Stiles from him and so I could get him back, without his help.”  
“When,” John started, his tone even but fury pouring out of him, “are you people or werewolves or what-the-fuck-ever you are, going to realize that my son is a person, not an OBJECT THAT CAN BE STOLEN. First this fucking alpha decides she’s going to kidnap two teenage runaways and then my son in a blatant abuse of power that I still can’t wrap my head around and now Scott is accusing you of STEALING STILES FROM HIM?! Stiles is nearly an adult and he makes his own decisions, reckless and stupid as they may be, and NO ONE controls what those decisions are besides him. Hell, I can’t even control him and I’m his father. I just- I just want my boy back home, safe. How can Scott not want that too?” By the end of his rant the Sheriff was past his anger and just plain sad. Derek knew he was on the verge of a breakdown and he approached the man, putting his arm around him and leading him out of the room.   
When they got to the sitting room, Derek deposited John on the couch before sitting awkwardly next to him. John kept his face buried in his hands while his shoulders shook with silent sobs. Derek just quietly waited for him to finish. He was no good at comforting people, that’s what Stiles usually did. Eventually the Sheriff stopped crying and used the back of his hand to wipe his eyes before turning a skeptical glare at Derek.  
“So, Miss Martin shared some information with the Argents and myself before you arrived. Anything you want to tell me, Derek, about your relationship with my son?” Derek knew the Sheriff was going to find out about his feelings toward Stiles eventually, but Derek was kind of pissed that apparently everyone knew except Stiles.  
“I-well, sir, I, um, I kind of. Stiles is my mate?”  
“Was that a statement or a question? And what exactly does that mean for you and Stiles?”  
“In the wild, with true wolves, they mate for life. That’s true for the wolf part of me as well. Now that my wolf has started to see Stiles as someone who takes care of not only me, but the rest of the pack as well, there’s no going back for me. What really sealed the deal, though, was that Erica and Boyd could sense that Stiles was above them in pack hierarchy, second only to me, and that they accepted it without question. But it’s not just my wolf, it’s me, too. I just- Stiles is incredible. He’s snarky and sarcastic and when he’s having a bad day he can be flat out mean but he still cares so much about every single person in his life. He would do anything for anyone, obviously, I mean, that’s kind of what got us into this mess. Stiles is under no obligation to return my feelings or be with me, honestly, I wouldn’t have even told him. He deserves to live his life, not be tied down to Beacon Hills.”  
“So let me get this straight, your wolf, who according to Lydia is not a separate thing but more like one half of your soul, will never accept you being with anyone other than Stiles, and your human half is in full agreement that he’s an amazingly good person who you want to be with? And you were never going to tell him? You were going to suffer through the heartbreak of him going away to college, maybe dating, maybe eventually getting married, all the while knowing that there would be no one else for you?” The Sheriff’s glare had softened to a look of affronted amusement. When Derek nodded, John leaned over and smacked him on the back of the head. “That is for being an idiot,” he told him, laughing to himself. “You two noble self-sacrificing idiots deserve each other. Did it ever occur to you that your feelings giving Stiles another reason to stay might not be tying him down as you put it? Look, kid, I’m gonna give you a little information here. Stiles doesn’t want to leave Beacon Hills. Trust me, it’s something we’ve talked about, at length. For the last nine years, it’s just been Stiles and I. Other than my sister in San Francisco and his maternal grandparents in Minnesota, we don’t have a family. And you and your pack have given him a family. It honestly makes a lot more sense now, why he didn’t want to leave. Stiles wants to go to UCBH and get a criminal justice degree so he can become a deputy at the Sheriff’s Department. I gotta say, I’m pretty proud he wants to follow in his old man’s footsteps,” John had a soft smile on his face as he thought about his son. “Now, I shouldn’t have told you what Stiles wants, that’s a conversation the two of you should have, but just be aware that if he stays here, it’s his choice, and you don’t get to try and make that decision for him by not being honest with him about how you feel. Besides, just about everyone in your pack seems to agree that he feels the same way about you.” Derek looked at John with surprise evident on his face. There was no way Stiles was interested in him the same way as Derek, but rather than argue the point he nodded along with the Sheriff.  
“Well, thank you, sir. Now I think we should go back in there and finish figuring this out.”  
“I think you’re right.” With that the duo walked back into the office where Jackson and Lydia were having a heated discussion about whether or not Jackson would be accompanying them to San Francisco.   
“Jackson, you can’t come. I’m sorry, but it’s not an option. Formal meetings should only include an alpha, his or her mate, and his or her second in command. Now Derek is the alpha, I’ve been acting as interim- second, and the meeting is to get the alpha’s ma-,” Lydia paused and looked over at Derek questioningly. He gave a long-suffering sigh but nodded at her to confirm the use of the word. With a sly smile she continued, “mate. I’m sorry, but if you come with us it could cause even more problems.”  
“Lydia if you think I’m letting you walk into a meeting with a pack like the one you and Allison just described without me next to you then you’re crazy. Besides, Allison gets to go,” Jackson said petulantly but Derek could hear the genuine concern for Lydia in his speech.   
“Yes, Allison is going because she is the matriarch of an ancient hunting empire that has allied itself with us. Honestly, I’ll be fine. And even if something happened to me you would get over it-“  
“LYDIA YOU’RE MY FUCKING ANCHOR OKAY I WOULD NEVER GET OVER IT.” Jackson’s outburst stopped the flow of Lydia’s words immediately and Derek could see her mind whirring, trying to process this new information.  
“I’m your anchor,” she mumbled, Her eyes never leaving Jackson’s.  
“Oh please, you can’t honestly tell me you’re surprised. What else would it be? You’re the only thing in my life that’s real. I love you Lyds.” Jackson pulled his girlfriend into a tight hug as she wound her arms around his waist. After a few moments Chris cleared his throat and the couple pulled away from each other.   
“I love you too, but you’re still not coming,” Lydia said to Jackson without her usual teasing tone. Jackson just groaned and stomped out of the office.   
“So, what’s the plan,” Derek asked, turning his attention back to Allison.  
“We hope like hell that we can get him back tomorrow but if not we go to war. I’ve already called in some hunters I trust and Lydia tells me you may have an Alpha pack on your side, but the Santos pack has a lot of wolves. Should we come to the worst-case scenario, my father and I believe the best course of action would be a small covert attack on the alpha, her mate, and her emissary. You can take control of the pack and give the power to one of their wolves once we get Stiles back and a treaty settled.”   
“Okay, I trust you to come up with a plan. After all, if there’s anything your family knows how to do, it’s kill werewolves,” Derek mumbled the last part and then immediately felt like an idiot. If his passive aggressive comments made them decide not to help he’d be so fucked.  
“Due to the fact that I know you’re missing your mate I’m electing to ignore that comment but please be aware that your snide comments are not so easily forgiven in the future, Derek.” Allison’s tone was absolute steel, but when Derek blushed and met her eyes there was a soft smile on her face. The group spent a few more minutes making arrangements for the next day but soon John left to finally go home and get some rest, Lydia and Jackson went back to Jackson’s house with the promise of meeting Derek at the Hale house at 7am the next day, and Derek got in his car and drove home. Derek mumbled a greeting to Isaac and Peter who were both in the kitchen arguing over who had to get dinner and then went upstairs and promptly fell asleep.   
Derek woke early the next morning, probably because it was only around seven when he went to bed. He took a long shower and tried to relax and get into a good mindset, knowing the day was going to be difficult. He considered jacking off to get rid of some of the tension but knowing Stiles was in danger wasn’t exactly conducive to that particular activity. Instead he got out of the shower, toweled off, and put the fine suit on, and sat down on the couch to wait for Lydia and Allison. The trio had decided to take Derek’s car, and at five minutes to seven Jackson’s Porsche pulled up and the two girls climbed out. Allison walked over to where Derek was waiting on the porch while Lydia gave Jackson a lingering kiss goodbye.   
“Hey Derek,” Allison started as she stood next to him, “I just wanted to let you know that I really am sorry about what my family has done to you. As long as I’m matriarch I promise you nothing like that will happen again. When I took this position I promised to only hurt a werewolf if it was hurting someone else. My mom and my aunt and my grandfather may not have treated our code with much respect but my father and I do, I just wanted you to know that.” Allison looked at Derek nervously. Derek knew he was no good at talking to people, but he tried to think of what Stiles would say.  
“Thank you. I’m sorry about what happened to your mom, too. I was also trying to protect someone. I, uh, did you know Stiles considers you pack? I know you used to be in Scott’s pack, you still might be, but Stiles sees you as part of our family, and if you want, I think I would be okay with you being a part of our pack too.” Derek knew he was trying to act nonchalant about the entire situation but he also knew that Allison was from a hinting family and would recognize the significance of being invited to join the pack. She gave him a gentle smile and opened her mouth to say something, but just as she started to speak Lydia approached them and Jackson drove away.  
“Well,” Lydia said, “let’s get this show on the road. And Derek, I’m glad to see that I made a good choice with your suit.” With that, Derek Lydia, and Allison climbed into Derek’s SUV and started the two-hour drive to San Francisco. Most of the ride was silent, but as they got closer to the city, Lydia began to speak about talking points and the best ways to convince the Santos Pack to give up Stiles.  
…  
After dropping off Lydia, Jackson drove to the high school. He grabbed his lacrosse gear out of the trunk and headed onto the field. His skin was crawling with nervous energy and frustration. As he flung ball after ball into the net he thought about everything that was going on. Jackson still couldn’t believe someone had Stilinski. Sure, Jackson had hated the guy for most of high school but a lot of that changed when Jackson became a werewolf. Stiles was still a snarky little shit, but where their banter used to be cruel now it was playful. Jackson actually talked to Stiles now. It helped their relationship that Stiles was no longer pursuing Lydia romantically and was happy to just be her friend. Jackson still couldn’t believe that McCall had been such a douchebag about the entire situation. How could you just abandon your best friend? The two had been attached at the hip for all of their loser lives and now that Scott was no longer the most important person in Stiles’ life all those years of friendship suddenly didn’t matter. And speak of the devil, Jackson looked up to see Scott walking over slowly with his crosse and a bag of balls.   
“McCall, if you know what’s good for you you’ll turn around and walk the fuck away from me right now.” Jackson was not in the mood to deal with Scott’s shit.   
“Or what will you do, Jackson,” Scott sneered at him.   
“Oh fuck this,” Jackson mumbled, throwing his crosse to the ground and launching himself at Scott, shifting before his feet even hit the ground. Not only did Jackson have the element of surprise, he was fueled by protective fury and even, dare he think it, love. The pack was a family for Jackson. They actually cared about him despite his personality and he could honestly say he loved them. With that though, Jackson demolished Scott. His training sessions with Derek paid off and he was a flurry of aggressive movement, raking is claws down Scott’s back and sinking his teeth into his arm as he lifted it to attack Jackson. Five minutes later Jackson picked up his crosse and left a bleeding Scott on the field. The fight had gotten rid of all of his excess energy and aggression and as he walked to his car he decided to grab a shower and then pick up Isaac, Boyd, and Erica for lunch. Maybe even Peter, he was feeling generous.   
Scott got to his feet and winced as he realized his wounds weren’t healing properly. He gingerly made his way back home. Melissa all but screamed when she saw him. She carefully helped him to his room and cleaned off his wounds, stitching the deep scratches and cuts closed.  
“Scott, who did this to you,” she asked him, “why did someone do this to you? Why aren’t you healing?”   
“Jackson freaking Whittemore did this to me. I have no idea why,” Scott lied. He knew exactly why Jackson had attacked him. Honestly, he wasn’t even mad at Jackson, Scott knew he deserved it for abandoning his best friend. “Mom, just call Deaton. He’ll figure out why my healing isn’t working.” Melissa nodded and left the room, pulling her phone out and calling Deaton as she went.   
“He’ll be here in five minutes. I’m going out real quick,” his mom called up the stairs. Before Scott could say anything she was out the door.  
Melissa was careful not to speed as she made her way to the Stilinski home. When she parked and pounded on the door she was surprised to see the Sheriff answer it, looking worse for wear.   
“Melissa, what are you doing here,” he asked.   
“I want Jackson Whittemore arrested,” she replied as she made her way into the kitchen. “He beat the shit out of Scott and I want him in jail for assault. Scott said he didn’t even have a reason. That kid is a menace.” John was looking at her skeptically and instead of sitting next to her at the kitchen table he stood in the doorway with his arms folded over his chest.   
“You know, I’m not feeling very inclined to arrest Jackson, or anyone who beats up your son at the moment, if I'm being honest.” The Sheriff shrugged indifferently.  
“WHAT?! John what are you talking about? Scott never hurts anyone, why are you okay with people hurting him?”  
“Melissa, have you noticed how quiet the house is? That’s because Stiles isn’t here. Stiles isn’t here because a fucking werewolf pack in San Francisco abducted him, and when Derek Hale asked your son to help us get Stiles back, he told him to FUCK OFF. So you can tell your son that until my boy is home safely, I don’t much care what any other werewolf does to him.” John’s face was absolutely murderous and Melissa stared at him in shock.  
“No. No way, Scott would never abandon Stiles like that.” Melissa vehemently shook her head, rejecting what the Sheriff was saying to her.   
“Why don’t you go home and ask him.”  
“Fine, I will. But there’s obviously been some misunderstanding.” With that Melissa let herself out the front door and climbed back into her car to drive home. When she arrived, she heard Deaton talking in Scott’s room.   
“You know what this means, don’t you? For abandoning Stiles when he needed you your true alpha ability is lost. Unless you kill another alpha you will always be a beta. This decision has left a shadow on your heart where it was once pure.” Deaton’s tone was soft and sad as he explained the situation to Scott.  
“I had a feeling that’s what was happening. I know I shouldn’t have told them I wouldn’t help but I was so angry at Stiles and then Derek shows up and I just- UGH!” Melissa heard a crash from the room and walked in quickly to see Scott’s bedside lamp was shattered against a wall. Deaton hardly reacted to the display of aggression as he walked out of the room, giving Melissa a small smile on the way.   
“So it’s true? You really abandoned Stiles? The kid you’ve been calling your brother for the last ten years? Scott, I’m so disappointed in you that I can’t even look at you.” With that, she turned on her heel and walked out the door, tears stinging her eyes as she made her way to her room. Scott sat in his bed, trying not to move because of his injuries, and cried.  
…  
In San Francisco, Derek, Lydia and Allison eventually arrived at a nice hotel in Union Square where Lydia had arranged for the meeting to be held. A petite blonde woman in glasses met them at the door.   
“Hi! I’m Jessica, Evelyn’s personal assistant; you must be from the Hale pack! If you would just follow me to the conference room we’ll get this all sorted out, I’m so sure there’s just been some sort of misunderstanding.” The woman continued to talk in her perky bubbly tone and Derek, Lydia, and Allison simultaneously rolled their eyes but followed her to the conference room. Jessica opened the doors to a conference room where an intimidating couple were sat behind a long conference table. The pair stood up and introduced themselves.  
“Hello, my name is Evelyn Santos, Alpha of the Santos Pack. This is my husband, Leo. You’ve already met Jessica, my personal assistant as well as my second.” Evelyn was tall, nearly as tall as Derek himself, and her mate was at least two inches taller than she was. She wore a well-tailored blazer and pencil skirt that accentuated her figure. She was beautiful but in a way that should be feared, not approached.   
“My name is Derek Hale, Alpha of the Hale Pack. This is Lydia Martin, my interim Second, and Allison Argent, Matriarch of the Argent Clan and ally of my pack.” Derek, Allison, and Lydia all shook hands and sat down across from Evelyn, Leo and Jessica.  
“Well I must say I’m impressed at your audacity, bringing a hunter with you. And this one,” Evelyn said gesturing disdainfully at Lydia, though her scent held the distinct twinge of interest, “she doesn’t smell quite…human. What is she?”  
“She’s immune. And Allison is not just any hunter, she deserves your respect,” Derek wasn’t Allison’s biggest fan, but he knew how well known the Argent name was and any werewolf to blatantly disrespect their leader was asking for trouble.   
“Oh, defensive of the little girl with bows and arrows, huh? Maybe she’s more than just your ally, maybe she’s your mate? After all, that is proper protocol for these events…” Evelyn let her sentence trail off. Derek immediately wanted to tell correct her, but Lydia shot him a glare that said clearly ‘keep your mouth shut,’ so he grit his teeth and stayed silent. Allison reached over to pat his arm consolingly. Derek focused on Evelyn. He thought she was looking at him intently but then noticed her eyes were looking past him, a cruel smirk on her face. He turned to see Stiles and a woman he didn’t recognize standing in the doorway. When he met Stiles’ eyes there was absolute heartbreak there and he noticed the boy was looking at where Allison still had her arm on Derek’s. Derek immediately moved to get up but Evelyn interrupted him.  
“Oh no, don’t get up. Sorry to surprise you, my emissary is quite adept at masking sound and scent. Sweetheart, let the boy go sit next to his alpha. You come over here.” Stiles mechanically walked over and sat down next to Lydia while the woman sat on the other side of Leo. Lydia grabbed Stiles’ hand and whispered in his ear but he didn’t reply. “Oh, I bet you’re wondering why he’s so quiet,” Evelyn said, “we noticed your second here had quite the mouth on him so my emissary put a little spell on him. Don’t worry, she can take it off. I don’t know why you’ve had him as your second, Alpha Hale, when he’d obviously be so much better suited as an emissary. Can’t you feel how he’s practically vibrating with magic? No wonder he can never sit still. I really hate to give him back to you but he’s just so uncooperative.” The cruel smile was back on her face and it was making Derek’s skin crawl. “No matter what we did to him, he just refused to renounce you as his alpha. How… loyal. Now, let’s talk terms. Derek, we’d like a formal allegiance with your pack, as well as all of your other allies, including the hunting family.”  
“No. Absolutely not. You held two of my betas against their will and then took my second. They are all teenagers, it is entirely believable that they didn’t know they had to announce their presence to you.” Derek was seething. He didn’t know what these people had done to Stiles but he knew it hadn’t been pleasant and now they wanted to make a deal with him? No way. “We came here to get Stiles and now that we have him we’ll be leaving. Take your charms or whatever you have off of Stiles and let us leave.” With that Derek stood up, Lydia and Allison rising on either side of him.   
“Well, if you’re sure we can’t convince you, you’re free to go. And take your human brats with you.” With that, Evelyn stood up to walk away with Leo and Jessica. She patted her emissary on the shoulder as she walked past, gesturing at Stiles. The woman made a complicated hand motion at Stiles, releasing him from whatever enchantments he was under.  
“Derek no you don’t understand, she’s-!” Before Stiles could continue with whatever he was trying to tell Derek, a blue light shot out of the emissary’s hands toward him and he collapsed with a scream of pure agony. By the time Derek was at his side, Stiles was losing consciousness. “Der’k,” he mumbled, before passing out completely.   
“Stiles! Stiles, wake up! Lydia, Allison, we need to get him to Deaton.” Derek was frantically clutching Stiles. He pulled his keys out of his pocket and tossed them at Allison before standing up with Stiles in his arms. The group hurried out of the building and into the car, getting curious stares from everyone they passed. When they got to the car, Allison climbed into the drivers seat, Lydia got the passenger seat, and Derek sat in the back with Stiles’ head in his lap. Derek stroked his hair and quietly begged him to wake up, hardly aware of Lydia speaking to someone on the phone and Allison speeding out of the city and down the highway back to Beacon Hills. They had finally got Stiles back, and while it had only been a few days since Stiles was taken, Derek was terrified to know what he had gone through in that time. Stiles had protected and remained loyal to his pack, but Derek wondered, at what cost?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow okay that was a busy chapter.  
> what do ya'll think of the Santos pack Alphas and their emissary?  
> will Stiles wake up? how is Derek going to explain the mix up about Allison to him when he does?  
> what about Scott and Jackson fighting? Scott losing his true alpha power?  
> Talk to me about this chapter PLEASE  
> THE NEXT CHAPTER IS GOING TO BE ALL ABOUT STILES IM SO FUCKING EXCITED TO WRITE IT.  
> okay im done.  
> feel free to harass me on tumblr: mishapslikesinkingships.tumblr.com


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW. I AM SO SO SO SORRY.  
> I cannot believe this took over a month for me to publish. I just couldn't find Stiles' voice.  
> Think of this as Chapter 6A and expect Chapter 6B either later tonight or tomorrow.   
> As usual my thoughts on the chapter are in the end notes so give them a read.   
> ConCrit is love.   
> Also if you could keep in mind this work is unbeta'd and I only give a very quick read through after it's written, so any errors are my fault and if you find one that is absolutely atrocious then mention it in the comments and I'll be sure to fix it.  
> Feel free to harass me on tumblr at mishapslikesinkingships.tumblr.com. I would love love love to talk about this fic with you and honestly, these chapters get posted much faster when I have people bugging me about them, like I have for the past week on tumblr. To the person who messaged me repeatedly until I finished this chapter, thank you for your motivating words. You know who you are.

            San Francisco was _awesome._ Stiles had spent all his life in Beacon Hills and the last time he’d been in San Fran was right after his mom died when his dad had sent him to live with his aunt for a few months. At the time Stiles hadn’t been up for exploring the city but being back at seventeen was like a whole new world for him. Stiles’ dad wanted to meet up with a few old buddies from work who had moved to the city so Stiles had been given free reign to do whatever. He had started his day by exploring a few museums and was on his way to meet his aunt for lunch when he got turned around and ended up walking through a shady part of town. He was just calling for a cab when he noticed familiar blonde hair disappearing around a corner. Logically, Stiles knew there were hundreds of thousands of people in San Francisco a lot of them were probably young women with long blonde hair, but Stiles had spent all summer thinking about Boyd and Erica and he couldn’t just ignore the gut feeling he had about whomever he’d just seen. Instead of hailing a cab he took off at a run around the corner and tried to catch up with the blonde.

            “Erica,” he shouted and, despite his hopes, he was genuinely shocked when the blonde turned around and he saw Erica’s surprised expression. A large silhouette was stopped a few feet in front of her and Stiles felt a huge smile tugging at the corners of his mouth when he realized it was Boyd. Stiles made his way through the busy sidewalk and threw his arms around Erica and Boyd. Neither of them hugged him back, but Stiles didn’t hold it against them. After all, the last time they’d seen each other he was getting his ass kicked by an old guy and they were getting electrocuted in a basement. Just as Stiles moved to pull away though Erica took a deep breath and Stiles saw a genuine smile on her face as she breathed out a single word: pack.

            “You’re with Derek now,” Boyd asked him, also leaning in to catch his scent.

            “Yeah, second in command, heh,” Stiles replied, blushing.

            “No, more than second. You’re closer. You’re his ma-“ before Erica could finish her statement Boyd elbowed her and she turned to growl at him and he bared his teeth in response. Stiles laughed at the werewolves in front of him acting like puppies. Then it actually hit him, he had just found his two missing puppies! Warmth flooded Stiles’ chest and he knew he had a goofy smile but he didn’t mind. Erica and even Boyd were both smiling back at him. Before Stiles said anything else though he reached up and smacked both of them on the back of the head.

            “That was for leaving. I get that things were confusing and scary but Derek is all about informed consent so I know before either of you were changed he warned you of the risks and dangers. You don’t just run away when things get hard, okay? That’s not how real life works and that’s not how pack works. We’re a family, and you don’t abandon your family when they need you. When I go back to Beacon Hills you’re coming with me, no exceptions, understood?” Erica was nodding eagerly and Boyd, stoic as always, dipped his head in Stiles’ direction, but Stiles could see the hint of a smile playing at his lips. Before Stiles could say anything else, however, Erica’s face fell and she looked absolutely terrified as she cursed under her breath. Stiles didn’t even have time to ask what was wrong before four men were surrounding them. He knew by Boyd and Erica’s reactions that these were werewolves and not entirely unexpected. In fact, now that he thought about it, he realized they had been in the crowd the entire time and were probably following the betas.

            “Hello gentlemen,” Stiles started in his usual sarcastic tone, “whatever you’re selling, we’re not buying, so if you could make like the Red Sea and split, we’ll be on our way.” The men hardly even acknowledged him, their single-minded focus set on Erica and Boyd. Stiles moved in front of his betas without a thought. “Hey, seriously, back off my betas, okay? We’re leaving right now, we’re not bothering anyone.” As soon as Stiles had called them his betas one of the four men had looked at him with interest.

“We have no interest in you, human, but the wolves are coming with us. They were too slow, and Evelyn wants to see them,” the youngest one sneered at him.

“Wow, that’s totally fascinating but I don’t give a fuck who wants to see them, they are betas in my pack and I am taking them home.” None of them said a word but moments later a van was on the street next to them and all three teenagers were tossed into the back.

            “Well, shit,” Stiles sighed. He was really starting to question his life when being kidnapped by a group of werewolves in a black van from a busy San Francisco sidewalk wasn’t even concerning anymore. Erica and Boyd though were practically shaking and Stiles had a feeling the situation was a lot more serious than he was anticipating. Still, he knew from over a year of dealing with werewolves, kanimas, and psychotic old men that it was best not to panic until you actually saw a reason to. Instead, he tried to distract his betas.

            “Oh man, just wait until we get back to Beacon Hills, guys. We’ve spent all summer working on the house and it’s totally coming together. I mean, if you liked living in that nasty old subway station then you’re not gonna be too happy, but if you want a pack house with warm water and a fridge then you are gonna be stoked! Seriously! We’ve repaired the roof and all of the essentials like the floor and the stairs and the walls and everything. The only thing left to do really is paint the upstairs. The downstairs already looks like it came out of a magazine because one day Jackson and Lydia showed up in a moving van full of paint and furniture and those random pointless home décor items that wealthy people like. I don’t really know to be honest. But what I do know is that it looks so freakin’ good! Oh and-“

            “You! Human! Shut up! Your voice hurts my ears.” Stiles turned to glare at the beefy guy who had just yelled at him. The man didn’t even acknowledge him and Stiles resisted the urge to stick his tongue out. Contrary to popular belief -read: Derek- Stiles did have some self-control.

            “Oh excuse me, I was unaware I was offending your delicate werewolf sensibilities.” With that, Stiles rolled his eyes and turned back to Erica and Boyd. Boyd looked stoic as ever, though it was clear that he was much less afraid than he had been. Erica was still trembling but Stiles caught the hint of a smile playing on her face. Stiles smugly smirked to himself. Derek may call it inane chatter but Stiles knew his propensity to babble in stressful situations was a good distraction, and the looks on Boyd and Erica’s faces were proof. Score one: Stiles, zero: Derek. Thinking of Derek made Stiles’ gut clench painfully. There was no mistaking how Stiles felt about the broody werewolf. Stiles knew his scent practically screamed want whenever he was around the man, and it had only gotten worse over the past few months as Stiles saw the pain losing Erica and Boyd brought Derek, as well as the happiness he gained from being around Isaac and Jackson. At some point Derek stopped being this ultra attractive enigma and just became this ultra attractive friend. Stiles knew if he wasn’t able to take Boyd and Erica home with him it would kill him to tell Derek. The alpha needed his betas, bad, and it was clear they need him too.

            When Stiles looked up again he noticed Boyd and Erica staring at him with concern and it occurred to him that dwelling on his feelings for Derek and his sadness at the idea of returning without the two betas was probably not the best plan in a car full of werewolves.

            “Sorry guys,” he smirked, “just lamenting the fact that I’m missing lunch with my aunt. She’s the best and we were going to get some really great food in Union Square, but then SOME creeperwolves,” he emphasized, “decided that kidnapping three minors, one of whom is the son of the sheriff, would be a good idea. Fail wolves.” Stiles glanced over his shoulder at two of the guys and noticed their teeth glinting and eyes glowing beta blue. The sight was enough for his self-preservation instincts to kick in and he mimed zipping his lips shut, winking at Erica when he caught her eye.

            About five minutes later the van stopped and the four big guys hustled them out and into a busy hotel. The group commandeered and entire elevator and they eventually arrived on the 26th floor where they were shown into a large suite with a sitting room, where a terrifying woman was having a cup of tea. Stiles immediately realized she was the alpha of whatever pack had taken them.

            “Aaah, you’ve brought our little runaway betas back,” she said in a quietly bored tone. “And you’ve brought a pet as well, I see. Why?”

            “He called them his betas,” the beefy guy who had looked at Stiles strangely on the sidewalk answered. “And they all smell of pack. The scent that the boy carries belongs to the same alpha as the one that bit these betas.” Stiles was surprised. He didn’t know werewolf noses were sensitive enough to pick out the scent of another wolf’s alpha, especially when the wolves in question were practically omegas. Before he could dwell too much on it, the woman was speaking to him.

            “What do you mean they are your betas? And what kind of alpha allows humans in his pack? A fool one. Now, I told these betas to get out of my city and they have yet to do so, which means they’re mine now. They’ve tried to stay on my territory while part of a different pack without having their alpha inform me. It’s very embarrassing to be an alpha and have strange wolves enter your territory without knowing for months because they ignored ceremony. I’ll have to make an example of them.” The alpha, Evelyn, was still speaking in that bored tone, but Stiles saw the fire behind her eyes.

            “Look, lady, I don’t give a fu-“

            “Stiles! Don’t. It’s okay, we’ll figure it out. We deserve it for leaving without telling our alpha. Just go meet your aunt for lunch, okay?” Erica spoke softly, she was quieter in the presence of Evelyn than she had ever been, even before the bite. Stiles opened his mouth to reply but Evelyn interrupted him.

            “Human boy, what is your name,” she asked loudly, moving to inspect his face more closely.

            “None of your business.” She gave him a bone-chilling look. “Okay, everyone calls me Stiles. Stiles Stilinski.”

            “How…strange,” she responded. She tried to hold the bored tone but there was something off about it, and when Stiles caught her eye before she looked away he saw recognition. She had recognized his name, but Stiles didn’t know how because he had never met her before in her life and she was clearly trying to act like she had no idea who he was. Seeing an opportunity, a plan started to form in his head.

            “Well, Boyd, Erica, I guess you’re right. I should just leave. I mean, I’m sure my aunt is worried, so I better go. And I mean, I’m not a wolf, so there’s no reason for me to be held here.” As he started moving toward the door, three sets of eyes snapped to him, Boyd’s, Erica’s, and, just who he was watching, Evelyn’s. Seeing her reaction and the look on her face that said she was dying to keep him here for whatever reason, he took one last risk. “Before I go, Evelyn, can I speak with you for a moment. Alone?” She looked at him carefully for a moment before nodding once and indicating with her hand that he should follow her into another room. As they walked through the large solid doors and she closed them, Stiles looked around and noticed they were in a bedroom.

            “This is the only room in the suite that’s soundproof, and I figured it would be best if we did not have an audience for this conversation.”

            “You know who I am. I don’t know how, but I saw the recognition when I told you my name.”

            “It hardly matters. You’re leaving, remember?” The look she gave him was calculating, so Stiles decided to go for broke.

            “This is a one time offer. I’ll stay if you let them go.” Evelyn’s stare turned deadly.

            “You’ll submit? Join my pack,” she asked.

            “No. I’ll never join your pack. and my alpha will come to get me. But that’s going to happen no matter who stays and who goes today and I think you’re more interested in having me around for a few days until he comes to get me than you are two errant and lost betas.” Stiles was proud that his voice didn’t shake, though he was sure his scent reeked of the fear he was feeling. Still, he believed completely that Derek would come for him if he stayed behind and that was a good enough reason for him to try it.

            “Your naivety is so refreshing, you actually believe he will come for you? Do you know who I am? I am the alpha of the largest and most longstanding pack on the west coast. I have an entire city, one of the biggest in the country, under my control. There’s no way he’d take me on for a human. And you truly think you wont renounce your pack and join mine eventually? Well, don’t worry; we have ways to make sure that you will. I accept your deal. The betas can leave, you will stay, and if your alpha asks for you, I’ll hand you over, but I doubt he will even be willing to do that.” Evelyn stuck her hand out and Stiles took it, shaking on the deal. Before she let him go, though, she pulled him close to her and deeply inhaled his scent. “Oh,” she said as she stepped back. “Perhaps he will come for you after all.”

            “Of course he will,” Stiles said proudly, “I’m his second.”           

            “Silly boy, is that all you think you are?” She laughed at his confused expression and then dragged him by the hand she was still grasping back into he sitting room. “The two betas go. Take the boy with you so he can see that they’re free to leave, and then bring him back. Take him to room 2612, I think someone there might be interested in seeing him.” With that she waived her hand dismissively and they four werewolves moved quickly to do as she bid.

Once again the three teenagers were whisked out of the hotel and into the van they’d been in before. As soon as they started moving, Boyd and Erica both tried to talk to Stiles, but he silenced them with a look. Instead, he told the man driving to drop them off at his aunt’s and rattled off the address. Twenty minutes later the van pulled up outside of an old townhouse in Little Russia and Stiles’ dad was running out the door.

            “Stiles! Where the hell have you been?! Your aunt called me, absolutely hysterical, saying you never showed up for lunch so she went home to see if you were there and you weren’t. Your phone kept sending me straight to voicemail. Seriously what were you thinking you-“ John Stilinski’s words died in his throat when he saw his son. Something was very wrong, he knew, in that way that parents always seem to know when it comes to their children. Then he took in the van, the four middle aged men, and the two other teenagers whom he recognized from the missing persons posters he had personally used to canvas most of Beacon Hills. “Oh lord, son, what mess have you gotten tangled up in, now,” he asked with a sadly resigned sigh.

            “Listen dad, this is Erica and Boyd,” his kid grabbed the two other teens and pulled them next to him. “You need to take them to Derek Hale. It’s a werewolf thing. No, I’m not on drugs or losing my mind or anything, werewolves are real, Derek is wolf, the four creepers behind me are wolves, and Boyd and Erica are wolves. Derek will explain everything but right now I need you to get these two to his house. It’s like, super important, okay.” With that, Stiles pulled his dad into a bone-crushing hug that the sheriff returned automatically. “Love you, old man,” he whispered, “see you in a few days, okay? Don’t worry.” Then he released him and turned to look at Boyd and Erica.

“Not a word until you’re with Derek, do you understand? Not a single word.” Erica was openly crying as she nodded her head and hugged Stiles. A second later the huge shape of Boyd was also wrapping his arms around the smaller boy. Stiles ran his hands over both of their heads and rubbed his cheeks against theirs. Then he disentangled himself and got into the van, carefully not thinking about the fact that he might never see his dad again.

The wolves seemed to realize how serious the situation had suddenly become, and while none of them offered him a shoulder to cry on, not that he would have accepted it, they all respected his silence and avoided mocking and taunting him like he had feared they would. The silence held for the entire drive back to the hotel and the elevator ride back up to the 16th floor. When the group stopped in front of room 2612, the four men stepped back as Stiles screwed up his courage and knocked on the door. When it swung open, Stiles almost collapsed in shock as he took in the woman in front of him.

            “Mom?” he choked out as the woman smiled at him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHAT? ANOTHER CLIFFHANGER?  
> yeah, sorry. Major kudos to the person who commented on the last chapter asking if the Santos emissary was Claudia Stilinski. We will, of course, learn her backstory in the next chapter so stay tuned for that. If you feel that Stiles seemed OOC in this I do apologize. Like I said in my opening notes, I had a very hard time finding his voice and I don't think I really captured it. You should know that I am a huge huge fan of protective/smart/bamf!Stiles and I love when he is able to pick up on subtle things and use them to form a plan. 
> 
> I'm just going to warn you the next chapter will have a fair amount of tortue-ish violence and I am not sure how graphic its going to be yet. Honestly it probably wont be too bad, if only for the fact that I don't like pain or blood or icky things like that.  
> I truly love every single comment you leave on this work and I appreciate everyone who is enjoying the story and took a moment to leave kudos.  
> ConCrit is Love  
> Harass me on tumblr at mishapslikesinkingships.tumblr.com


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